It takes a lot of talented people to run a Community Health Center (CHC), and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is one role often overlooked, but critical. Being an effective CFO involves more than paying salaries and keeping the lights on but also planning for a stable financial future. NACHC is pleased to recognize the career of the former Sr. Vice President & CFO of The Family Health Centers of Georgia, Inc. (FHCGA), William T. Bledsoe, MBA, CPA, CGMA. Bledsoe recently retired, after decades of providing financial expertise and wisdom to FHCGA and the community it serves.

Bledsoe’s colleagues describe him as someone who rarely had much to say, but ‘when he spoke, we listened.’ Though he may be a man of few words, he was not shy about asking vendors, friends, relatives, neighbors, and strangers to support the health center movement, often stating, ‘whatever it takes to take care of our patients.’

“My career in healthcare finance has been rewarding in many ways—allowing me the opportunity to assist in ensuring that medical resources are available to communities in need,” Bledsoe said.

Bledsoe led implementation of new systems and expansion into a new facility

Early in his career, Bledsoe applied the experience he gained from working in corporate finance and his tenacity as a Vietnam vet to his new role as FHCGA’s first CFO. Thirty-one years later, he reached significant milestones to expand the health center’s capacity to provide high-quality care for all. Bledsoe implemented new systems and processes to improve financial outcomes and prepared comprehensive financial data that helped FHCGA’s CEO and Board of Directors shape its future.

In 1998, Bledsoe favorably remembers leading efforts to obtain $5.5 million in financing for property acquisition, construction and equipment for FHCGA’s current 41,000 sq. ft. medical facility and corporate office. He helped grow the organization to now operating 16 locations, including three mobile units. He also shared fond memories of his 10 years of oversight working with CEOs and CFOs around the state as the financial administrator of an $8.3 million budget for Title X program in Georgia.

He was an active member of Georgia Society of CPAs serving on both the Healthcare and Leadership Councils. For 23 years, he served on the Finance Committee of the Georgia Primary Care Association, he had a relentless attitude to serve, participating in statewide conferences and training sessions. He eagerly shared best practices and policies and procedures to mentor other CHC CFOs across the nation. Bledsoe strongly advocated and utilized NACHC’s educational sessions to remain cutting edge in his ever-changing role.

“Over the years, attending the education and training sessions sponsored by NACHC were vital to keeping me current with changes in my role as CFO and to keep compliant with DHHS and other requirements,” Bledsoe said. “The CPE credits from NACHC’s educational sessions were used to assist me with the renewal requirements of my CPA license every three years.”

Proud of FHCGA

Reflecting on his time at FHCGA, Bledsoe notes many instances to be proud, noting that FHCGA established the first School-Based Health Centers in Fulton, Douglas and Clayton Counties. 

He also noted the health center’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bledsoe shared, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, FHCGA was the first in the community to make COVID-19 testing available.”

What he is most proud of is having a career that fostered the importance of giving back. His commitment to the community extended beyond his role as Sr. VP & CFO. Since 2008, Bledsoe has donated the major door prizes for FHCGA’s annual Holiday Hope toy give-a-away. He talked about being a major fundraiser and personal sponsor of FHCGA’s first fundraising event in 2010. Since its inception in 2017, he solicited sponsorships, including his family, neighbors and friends, and personally contributed to the organization’s major fundraiser, Sounds of Good Medicine.

He is also proud to have worked in an environment that allowed him to successfully raise his son and daughter in a single-parent household. He’s fond of memories of his son and daughter sitting on the floor in his office doing their homework as he worked late into the night.

As his CHC CFO career has come to an end, he hopes to be remembered for his “support of FHCGA’s mission, his commitment to the health center, its employees, community, and thankfulness to have had the opportunity to be a part of the health center movement.”

April is Stress Awareness Month, and managing stress effectively involves a combination of strategies. Community Health Centers (CHCs) are leading the way in providing essential mental health services and support through holistic wellness programs to the 32.5 million Americans they serve each year. CHCs are uniquely positioned to support patients – many of whom face significant barriers to accessing healthcare – through comprehensive, person-centered approaches. These holistic wellness programs promote physical, emotional, and mental well-being by offering resources such as nutrition counseling, fitness classes, mindfulness workshops, behavioral health services, and support groups—helping individuals build resilience and maintain balance in their daily lives.

Stress is a natural part of life, but when stress becomes chronic, it can lead to serious health issues such as anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the prevalence of stress can help us address the impact of stress more effectively. For instance, a report from 2020-2024 noted that 75% of U.S. adults report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress regularly and 34% feel completely overwhelmed by stress on most days.

Understanding the impact of non-clinical factors on health and stress

Moreover, the connection between non-clinical factors of health and stress management is crucial. Non-clinical factors affecting health, such as economic stability, access to quality education, and safe living environments, have a profound impact on an individual’s overall health (up to 80%).

CHCs play a pivotal role in addressing these factors by providing resources and support that help mitigate the underlying causes of stress. They help patients manage stress through a variety of services, including mental health counseling, support groups, and wellness programs that promote physical activity, healthy eating, and mindfulness. Through this holistic approach, CHCs not only improve mental health outcomes but also enhance overall well-being and quality of life for individuals and families in the community.

How Sun River Health and La Clínica del Pueblo help patients with stress

To address stress effectively, Sun River Health in New York City provides a range of mental health interventions, including consultations, communal support, and health enhancement practices.

Their philosophy is clear: “Being healthy shouldn’t be a privilege for a few; being healthy is a right for all.” By prioritizing comprehensive care, these centers are making a significant impact on the well-being of their communities.  

Similarly, La Clínica del Pueblo in Washington, D.C., focuses on contextually competent care, providing mental health services tailored to the needs of their community. La Clínica del Pueblo offers an array of dynamic programs and strategies to tackle mental health and substance use challenges, with a strong focus on stress management. Their mental health treatment services provide bilingual, culturally competent therapy for individuals, couples, and groups, addressing issues like trauma, depression, PTSD, and dual diagnoses.

The behavioral health integration program seamlessly combines behavioral health and primary care services, with mental health therapists embedded in the primary care team for immediate screening and assessments. 

One of their innovative and dynamic offerings is telemental health services, which leverage secure videoconferencing to provide mental health consultations—breaking down barriers and expanding access to care in underserved communities. The psychoeducational in-person group intervention program, such as “Mi Familia,” provides family counseling and group sessions to enhance communication and stress management.  

The substance use treatment program, “Volviendo a Vivir,” delivers bilingual substance use treatment, including counseling, support groups, and HIV testing and education. By prioritizing these approaches, La Clínica del Pueblo is helping individuals lead healthier, more balanced lives.

CHCs as trusted anchors in advancing whole-person care. Their commitment to addressing the root causes of stress through whole-person care services is not only transforming individual lives—it’s strengthening entire communities.  

This Stress Awareness Month, let’s honor their impact by advocating, collaborating, and taking meaningful steps to support mental wellness for all.

Each year, Congress must approve discretionary funding for Community Health Centers, which makes up 30% of all health centers’ federal funding. To demonstrate support, we ask every U.S. representative to sign a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, specifically addressed to Chairman Bob Aderholt (R-AL) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). This letter calls for robust discretionary funding for Community Health Centers in the upcoming fiscal year.

The appropriations letter is crucial to NACHC’s strategy for securing funding as health centers continue to operate with uncertainty about securing long-term mandatory funding. The more representatives who sign the letter, the stronger the message to congressional leadership about the bipartisan consensus around health center funding. We expect the Appropriations Committee to announce the deadline for submitting the letter soon, meaning that health centers may only have a few weeks to convince their representatives to sign the letter. 

In the previous Congress, great turnouts on our appropriations letters demonstrated the strong bipartisan support that exists for health centers and protected our funding in a divisive budgetary process. The 2024 fiscal year letter garnered 266 signatures, and the 2025 fiscal year letter garnered 281 signatures. You can view if your Representative signed either letter and track signatures on the 2026 fiscal year letter here. 

Advocating for health centers is an exciting opportunity to connect with elected officials, share powerful stories about your health centers’ impact, and ensure continued support for our patients and communities. During the latest in-district work period, many health centers took advantage of opportunities to build and maintain relationships with their members of Congress.  

As the House and Senate move forward with the budget reconciliation process, the in-district work period from April 14 to 25 is a timely opportunity to host lawmakers and showcase health centers’ impact and the importance of protecting patients’ access to Medicaid. Learn more in our recent blog post.

We need your help getting your representative to sign on! Contact your representatives and urge them to sign the letter in support of Community Health Centers’ funding in 2026. Follow NACHC’s instructions to contact your representatives by phone or email.

Community Health Center advocates across the country have been incredibly active in meeting with their members of Congress by either traveling to DC for NACHC’s fly-ins or by meeting with them during in-district work periods (also known as “recess”). There are unique opportunities during in-district visits and meetings for members of Congress and their staff to see firsthand the impact of health centers.  

Members of Congress will soon be making decisions that impact health center funding. During this time, there will be two upcoming in-district work periods on April 14-25 and May 26-30 that health centers can leverage to host their elected officials. The best time to send a scheduling request is 3-4 weeks before your proposed meeting date. Get started now and begin the process of scheduling a visit. Use the resources at the end of this blog. 

Advantages of in-district meetings

Members of Congress have more time to learn about how health centers provide quality, accessible, and cost-efficient care to their constituents. Lexy Eggert, Chief Development and Strategy Officer at Horizon Health in South Dakota, shared, “Hosting our congressional leadership at one of our health center sites is a great opportunity for them to interact with health center staff and engage with our front-line leaders, who are living the health center mission every day.”

Additionally, health center leaders can show how investments in health centers impact the overall health and economic vitality of their community. Community Health Development, Inc. (CHDI) in Texas recently opened a new site, which was the perfect opportunity to host their members of Congress. As Mayela Castañon, CEO of CHDI, said, “We were honored to have Congressman Chip Roy attend and speak at our Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting at our new Rolling Hills Health site in Leakey. We greatly appreciate his support for the growth of healthcare in rural Texas.”  

She and her team partnered with the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) for the grand opening and visit. Jana Eubank, CEO of TACHC, highlighted that these visits allow people to learn that health centers provide more than medical care to their constituents and community.  

Eubank shared: “Inviting stakeholders and elected officials to your health center is the best way to showcase in real time all the amazing work that happens at our Community Health Centers. It is a great opportunity to create a visual understanding of everything that health centers provide in addition to health care services. Health centers create jobs, work with partners to provide food, transportation, and other services to improve the overall health outcomes in our communities. Elected officials and stakeholders need to see it in action to grasp the importance of our mission.”

Preparing for upcoming in-district work periods 

Now’s the time to start planning for how to take advantage of the two upcoming in-district work periods on April 14-25 and May 26-30 when health centers can host their elected officials. The best time to send a scheduling request is 3-4 weeks before your proposed meeting date.

NACHC Resource: Download NACHC’s Toolkit for Hosting In-District Visits and Meetings to assist your planning and outreach to host members of Congress. This step-by-step guide has templates and resources you and your health center team can use to plan and prepare for an impactful visit with your members of Congress.

Notify NACHC if you are hosting a member of Congress: Please use this form to inform NACHC of upcoming meetings with members of Congress. This will allow NACHC to provide support to you and your health center.

To date, NACHC has received feedback on 30 meetings that took place in March, so please take a moment to complete this form if you’ve met with your member of Congress. For the April in-district work period, NACHC has a goal of 50 health centers reporting visits and sharing feedback on how the visits went.

Please continue to partner with us to amplify health center priorities with members of Congress as they make critical decisions that impact over 32.5 million health center patients. If you have any questions, please reach out to NACHC Grassroots Advocacy team at [email protected].